


I Remember

by Happyp1neapple



Category: Bleach
Genre: Action/Adventure, Battle Sequence, F/M, Minor Character(s), Original Character(s), Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-08
Updated: 2014-07-08
Packaged: 2018-02-07 23:36:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1918392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Happyp1neapple/pseuds/Happyp1neapple
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Its been 17 months since he last saw her, but his face still feels warm from the memory of her touch. Why can't he remember? Post ch. 459.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: This takes place right after the battles with the Fullbringers which is a long time ago. I felt there was more potential with the Fullbringers and I want to explore that. I started writing this during the Fullbringer vs. Shinigami Arc. Post ch. 459. Also posted on fanfiction.net
> 
> This is an update of Chapter 1. The mistakes I made in this chapter is now corrected. Thank you DameM for being my beta. You made this chapter better!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Mr. Tite Kubo et al owns it.

Chapter 1: I Remember

"What a waste of time," Ikkaku remarked. "I thought I was going to die of boredom fighting that guy."

"Troublesome," Toushiro commented.

"Che, took all of you long enough. Hey Kuchiki! Why didn't you switch with me?" Kenpachi shouted.

Byakuya Kuchiki responded with a just a hint of a smile. Inwardly he grimaced. It was way too easy. I need to update the soutaicho and all the captains as soon as we get back to the Soul Society. "The battle would definitely have been a bore to you. I doubt you would have had the skill or patience for it."

"What did you say, Kuchiki? I'll kill you!" Everyone sweat dropped. Those familiar with the two captains could see through their rugged interaction to the obvious "friendly" camaraderie between the two.

"Hey, you're pretty quiet Renji. Was your battle crappy like mine?" asked Ikkaku.

Renji glanced at his oil stained hands. The expression on that woman's face before the explosion flickered through his mind. I can't believe it. She blew herself up to get me out of that place.

"Hmph," was the only response uttered from his lips.

"Where's Ichi and that arrow guy?" popped the pink haired vice-captain from behind Kenpachi.

"Watch your back Kurosaki!" Ishida yelled.

"Getsuga Tensho!" shouted Ichigo as he dodges an attack from behind. "Thanks for the warning!" I need to get this battle over quickly. That little midget has a lot of explaining to do. He deepened his scowl and shunpoed behind Ginjo.

"Achoo!" Rukia rubbed her nose absently while she went in circles in the cushioned playroom.

"Where are you...?" Rukia shouted. "Don't think you can distract me with all...this!" This wasn't the type of battle she thought she would be thrown into, especially after all the training she'd been doing. Just as the thought passed through her mind, she quickly moved her head to the side. A heart tipped dart zipped passed her left cheek, missing it by only a few millimeters.

"Oh, so you are paying attention."

A girl with pig tails, maroon hair and a cute bunny cap emerged from the confines of the playroom. I must ask her where she got her cap. Rukia quickly shook her head from side to side. Baka, now is not the time to think of things like that. A memory of Ichigo handing her matching rabbit ears he bought while they were at a festival entered her mind. Now is definitely not the time to think of things like that.

"Oi! You still there? Should I shoot again?"

Before Rukia could respond, the girl with the bunny cap continued. "I don't want do this stupid fight. I didn't want Ginjo to give me powers he stole from Ichigo Kurosaki. Stupid Ginjo! He never listens. I hope he gets his butt kicked."

Stunned, Rukia asked, "Why are you here? What's Ichigo to you?" The latter question could be taken many different ways.

"Ha! That's something I want to ask you! You guys look way too suspicious. There's no way a hottie like him would be involved with you like that."

Rukia smirked back at the pig-tailed girl. This girl was obviously attracted to Ichigo. Ichigo, you better be okay. Annoyed, Rukia let out a huge huff at the distracting thoughts of concern. Focus, there's plenty of time to think of him later. Ironic, as that was exactly what she had been trying not to do for the past seventeen months.

Focusing back to the girl in front of her, Rukia retorted, "Like what? What Ichigo and I are to each other is none of your business. Let's end this and find a way out of here. I don't want to be stuck in here forever."

Just as the words passed Rukia's lips, the cute stuffed animal filled room began to break down and the outside world came into view. Quickly, Rukia grabbed the nearest stuffed bunny and caterpillar just before they disappeared with the room.

"Oh, ho! Took you long enough," Renji greeted. However, his demeanor quickly changed as a girl emerged from behind Rukia.

Noticing the changed expression from Renji had everyone's hand on their Zanpakutous, she responded quickly to him. "Idiot. Can't you see that she's obviously not interested in fighting us?"

Renji looked at the girl with the maroon hair holding a toy… gun? It's a gun, right? I think I remember Shuuhei showing me pictures of guns that shoot water and various other things. "What the heck, Rukia? We're supposed to defeat our enemies not play with them."

"Shut up. She's coming with us. We can hold her for questioning later when we get back to the Soul Society."

"I'm not going anywhere with you! Not if you're going to talk about me like that!" the maroon haired girl shouted. But maybe I'll go if that red haired hunk asks me. She stared at the tall red haired Shinigami and glared at the short haired girl that acted so friendly towards Ichigo Kurosaki.

"Like hell you're not!" Renji shouted at her.

Close enough. "Fine, but I demand to be treated like a guest and I won't say a word till I speak with Ichigo Kurosaki."

A big boom suddenly shocked everyone. Two figures were seen shattering through the final game room created by the kid with the video game themed Fullbring powers. Left standing in the air was Ginjo. "Ha, the battle stops here. Next time we meet all your powers will be mine and I will scatter the remains of your destroyed body in front of your friends and family!" With that clichéd statement, a rip opened in the sky and Ginjo disappeared into what appeared to be Hueco Mundo.

Ichigo pushed a big piece of cement off his chest. Ugh. That sucked. Ichigo slowly opened his eyes, trying to blink the blurriness out of his vision. He felt someone pull him out of the rubble. His vision finally cleared and in slow motion Rukia materialized over him and was shouting at him. He saw Ishida hobbling while being supported by Renji out of the corner of his eye. Good, he seems okay. He grimaced as waves of pain passed through his body. Flashbacks of the winter battle seventeen months ago rushed through his mind. Ginjo, I won't let you hurt my friends again. I won't let this turn into another Aizen battle. Chad, Inoue, Ishida, I promise I will be strong enough to protect you from ever being hurt again. He remembered Rukia's sad expression as she left through the Senkaimon. And I will never hurt you again...Rukia.

"Ichigo! Ichigo! Are you okay? Idiot, say something!"

That voice. I was unable to hear that voice for the past seventeen months. "Ouch! Shut up, midget! You're too loud." Ichigo grabbed her hands from where they shaking his shoulders and clasped her small hands between his.

Rukia. This is Rukia that's yelling and shaking me. He gasped at the sudden flash of memories that rushed through his mind at her touch. Oh, you are not getting away this time. Ichigo pulled Rukia down centimeters away from his face. Her soft black hair slipped towards his face from behind her ears, tickling his checks.

"I'm not letting you go again, Rukia. You will never use that memory modifier thing on me again." Eyes pierced deep into hers and he fought against the black fog clouding his vision. In a whisper he said, "I remember."

Next Chapter: Remembering Hurts.


	2. Remembering is Painful

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to acknowledge and thank DameM for her help. You are awesome and I'm so happy you are my beta reader!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Mr. Tite Kubo et al owns it.

Rukia's hands slipped from Ichigo's grip to hang at her sides. She stared at his unconscious body; panic swelling up inside and threatening to overtake her body. She still felt the intensity from Ichigo's fierce and determined eyes. Those eyes had caused an overwhelming wave of pain and regret in her. She had taken away their last moments together against his will. What does he remember? I betrayed him. Without thinking she had ran to his side to help him, heal him, to hold him up. No, I don't have that right anymore. I don't have the right to help him-to touch him. The fact that I may have helped him restore his powers doesn't change the fact that I'm no better than that guy that turned Inoue and Chad against him. She gripped the front of her shihakusho with her hands. Her knuckles turned white from her tightened fists and her hands threatened to bleed from the pressure of her nails against her skin.

"Hey, Rukia, are you going to heal him or what?" Renji asked as he passed Ishida over to a fourth squad medical specialist. Renji noticed her small frame go rigid. He had tried to make light of the situation by teasing her with that question. Unfortunately, he had just made the situation worse. The last year and a half or so he tried to be the rock for her to fall on. He had hoped she would rely and depend on him completely like she had with Ichigo. She'd replied sharply each time he'd asked her; saying that she was fine and could take care of herself. Renji always held back a sigh. She's so stubborn. Anyone can see how she's not fine at all.

"I...He's in better care now. Fourth squad can heal him better than I can," Rukia replied hesitantly. Her voice was filled with concern, worry, and a touch of regret.

"What are you going to do?" Renji asked. "He said he remembers. You can't just use the memory modifier on him again. He won't let you and I doubt it will work anyway." Renji looked over at Ichigo's body as members of the Fourth squad worked to heal his very much damaged body.

"It doesn't matter. After what I did to him I don't have the right to-" Rukia stopped herself from finishing her sentence. She hadn't spent the last seventeen months stopping herself from thinking about Ichigo to suddenly explain everything to Renji. Her resolve had broken several times within that period and that had cost her and Ichigo dearly. It hurt more that she had caused Ichigo pain. "What happened between us no longer matters. Ichigo will have to let it go."

"Ha! I seriously doubt that he's going to just let it go." Renji replied. He held back another remark when Rukia turned around and glared at him.

"Renji, he will let it go." Rukia's voiced cracked at the end of her sentence. Shamed at her loss of control, she turned around and walked toward everyone else. He has to let it go.

Ichigo heard chatter around him but couldn't distinguish out all the voices. Someone had healed the wounds he received from his fight with Ginjo. He wanted to discuss-no demand an explanation from Rukia. I'm not going to let her run away from this. Fighting to remain conscious he succumbed to sleep remembering his last memory with Rukia.

She stood in front of him in her gigai, her bright violet eyes filled with determination and sadness. "Rukia?" he asked. He'd always been able to tell what she was feeling. If only he could sense her reiatsu.

"I have to do this, Ichigo," she said. She pulled a familiar object from her pocket. "It's not fair to you. I have to go and you have to move on."

"I am moving on," he argued, dread filling him.

"No, you're not. You're struggling to get back the powers you've lost. There's no telling when or if you will ever get them back. As long as I'm here, you'll never have that normal life you've always said you wanted."

"Screw the 'normal' life," he shot back, his anger rising. She was taking the easy way out. After all they'd been through together, she was going to leave and take these new memories of her, of them, with her.

"Ichigo, this is for the best."

She had been bringing up the subject the entire time they'd been together. He wondered if someone from Soul Society had found out about them. Anger and hurt built up in his chest and he instantly regretted the following words that rushed out of him. "Fine! Leave if you hate being here so much! If you felt this way, maybe you shouldn't have stayed to begin with!"

Tears welled in Rukia's eyes and he hated himself for it. He wanted to pull her to him and tell her he didn't mean what he just said.

"See? It hurts and I don't want you to have all this pain," Rukia replied, fighting to stop the shakiness in her voice. She brought her arm up and readied the device. "I promise you that if we ever see each other again, it will be when you have your powers back."

"No! Rukia, don't you realize you'll remember? Rukia!-" Ichigo yelled. The last things he remembered were a puff of smoke and a whispered goodbye.

Rukia! Ichigo thought suddenly. He felt the familiar bed he was lying on. I'm in my room, he thought, hearing the shuffling of voices were clearer now and he kept his eyes closed to identify them better.

"Onii-chan still looks like he's hurt!" A sweet, young voice said.

"It's okay; I can see that he's starting to move." Another young voice answered the first. Yuzu? Karin?

"Hey! My lazy son, wake up already!" an older voice said. That one I definitely know.

"Do I need to punch you awake, Ichigo?" another asked. Renji?

"Forget it. He's obviously still not recovered yet," still yet another commented. Ishida, that's right. I was fighting Ginjo with Ishida.

"Idiot! How long are you going to keep sleeping?" Rukia asked, her voice covered in annoyance.

Rukia! he thought again. He shot up in his bed and stared at everyone squished into his room around him. Friends and family, both Shinigami and human, were there.

"Yay! He's finally awake, Ken-chan!" the eleventh squad lieutenant yelled with excitement. Her hair now sported a crossed bones clip.

"Che, you're still getting the crap beaten out of you," Kenpachi remarked.

Ichigo stared at everyone before looking down at himself. He was wearing a shihakusho. My powers. They're really back.

Rukia looked at him. "Yes, your Shinigami powers are really back. The sword the soutaicho requested Urahara make was designed to transfer Shinigami powers back to you. We all poured our reiatsu into it. The remnants of your reiatsu welled deep within you came out after that," she explained. "Look at your Zanpakuto."

He looked over at Zangetsu. The spirit sword was leaning against the wall. It was still a cleaver, but bigger, the hilt now brandishing two black chains. It reminded him of his bankai. Come to think of it, his Soul Cutter looked like a combination of his bankai and shikai.

"Ichigo," a voice whispered deep in his soul.

"Zangetsu. You got an upgrade," he responded.

"Ohya? That was a close one," a man wearing a familiar green and white striped hat said. "Urahara-san?" Ichigo asked slowly. Shaken out of his reverie, Ichigo looked at the man in front of him.

"Kurosaki-san!" Urahara-san exclaimed with a quick swipe of his fan. "Your powers are back but still unstable. Yes, they are here to stay, but we need to watch it for a while till you get the hang of things again," he finished seriously.

"Yamamoto-soutaicho has requested you come to the Soul Society for a while to train. Once you get stronger you can come back here. We still need to find out more about Ginjo," his father interjected.

Ichigo stared back at everyone with a blank look for a few moments. "Aa, I know." His mind suddenly flashed back to his battle with Ginjo and Tsukishima before everyone arrived. "How are Inoue and Chad? They were still under the influence of Tsukishima."

Everyone shifted uncomfortably. "They're still out." Urahara-san replied. "The rest of your friends and family seemed to have forgotten Tsukishima after Captain Kuchiki beat him." Urahara-san glanced at the Captain then back at Ichigo. He narrowed his eyes. "So far, they seemed to be out of his influence. We just need to keep a close eye on them for now." His father and Urahara-san exchanged a knowing look.

As long as they don't remember that guy. Inwardly, he grimaced at the memory of his battle with Tsukishima using his friends to fight against him. There have been enough bonds messed with. He spared a quick glance at Rukia. Wearied from thinking about Tsukishima, Ichigo asked, "What are we going to do now?"

"We're going to head back first," Toushiro answered. He leaned against Ichigo's bedroom door. "Lieutenant Kuchiki will escort you to the Soul Society once you're ready."

Everyone stared at Rukia then at Ichigo. She stood there motionless. She mirrored her brother's infamous cold expression perfectly. Her brother furrowed his brow as he looked at her with concern. Her face gave no reaction or awareness of everyone's attention on her and Ichigo. After a moment of awkward silence, everyone started to leave.

"Well then, we'll see you soon," Renji said to Ichigo. As he followed after his captain, he put a hand on Rukia's shoulder and gave her a smile. She looked up at him startled but she smiled back at him.

Ichigo churned inside. It's just Renji. They've always been close. However, their interaction just now bugged him.

"Hey! How long you going to sit there for, get back in your body!" A sudden slap to his back had Ichigo almost falling out of his bed courtesy of his father. "Don't worry. You'll have time to talk to her later," he whispered quietly. His father looked at him sympathetically before kicking him off the bed. "Now, hurry up and get ready!"

"Ow! Okay, I'm still injured here, you stupid old man!" Ichigo yelled back. It wasn't time he worried about. He was angry and hurt by what Rukia did to him. He doubted she would give them the chance to go back to what they were before she had erased his memory. Never mind even acknowledging what was going on between them. He was afraid that remembering would just make him lose her all over again causing more pain for both of them. No, I won't let that happen. I refuse to let what happened between us go. I'll just have to convince her.

"Nii-chan," his twin sisters voiced at once, interrupting his thoughts.

"Hey. I'm sorry I worried you guys," he said softly once he was back in his body. They stared at him for a few moments. Then in response, they rushed forward and hugged him.

"Ichigo, we need to get going," Rukia said from the far corner of his room. She smiled gently at the two younger girls hugging Ichigo. "Hurry up, or I'll leave you to go on your o-" Rukia eyes widened and she abruptly ended her sentence. An uncomfortable silence hung in the air.

"Rukia-neechan!" Yuzu piped up. "Could you help me with dinner downstairs?" She glanced at Rukia and her brother. "I know you guys have to leave soon, but I want to make something for you two to take with you before you both leave."

Rukia smiled at her appreciatively. "Sure." Without looking back at Ichigo she left his room with Yuzu. Karin followed after them with a quick look at Ichigo.

Isshin looked at him as he got up to leave Ichigo's room. He placed his hand on Ichigo's shoulder again and said, "Give her some time. Give yourselves both some time. Things will go back to normal."

"Yeah...I know. Thanks, Pops," Ichigo answered. After his father left, he laid back down on his bed, placing an arm over his eyes. He winced in pain from the bruises Rukia gave him from where she'd kicked him earlier. She hits just as hard as she ever did. Maybe harder.

"Normal, huh? Whatever that means."


End file.
